HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-02-09 MinutesCALL TO ORDER
I. Village President Rick Krier called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and led the assemblage in
the Pledge of Allegiance.
II. Village Clerk Carol Fritzshall called the roil. Present were: Trustees Georgianne Brunner,
Shel Marcus, Rita Minx, Dan Staackmann, and John Thill. Mayor Krier said that Trustee
Kogstad was absent due to an illness in his family.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. Regarding the Minutes of the January 26, 2009 Regular Meeting, Trustee Minx moved,
seconded by Trustee Brunner, to accept the Minutes as presented. Mayor Krier asked if
anyone had any changes or corrections to the Minutes. Trustee Minx had a correction on
page 5 and on page 14. On page 5, she asked that paragraph D.2.b. be changed to read
"Trustee Minx provided..." instead of Trustee Brunner's name. On page 14, she pointed out
that the vote on the Warrants was listed incorrectly. Trustee Brunner also had a correction;
she noted that the Alden's representative's name had been misspelled throughout the
Minutes. The correct spelling is "Demes". Trustee Thill also asked about an exchange that
had happened where `Rdberts Rules of Order'" was cited by Trustee Staackmann. He said he
couldn't find that in the Minutes. Clerk Fritzshall said she would review the tape and add it in.
Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Brunner, to approve the January 26, 2008 Regular
Meeting Minutes as corrected. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote.
b. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of January 28, 2009, Trustee Minx moved to
accept the Minutes as presented, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Mayor Krier asked if anyone
had any changes or corrections. Trustee Thill asked why the residents' questions and an-
swers weren't included in these Minutes. Mayor Krier pointed out that the Minutes weren't
supposed to be verbatim. Corporation Counsel Liston said that they can be incorporated. She
explained that the Executive Secretaries transcribe the Minutes and try to get the gist of the
meeting in. Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes as corrected, seconded by Trustee
Marcus. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote.
IV.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
NONE
Minufes of February 9, 2U09 Hosrd Meeting.
V. SPECIAL REPORTS
1. Presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to Fire Department Personnel
a. Fire Chief Tom Friel explained that five individuals in the Fire Department had gone "above
and beyond the call of duty" and helped the Morton Grove Fire Department achieve a unique
distinction by competing in the 2008 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge World Champion-
ships, held in November 2008 in Las Vegas. Chief Friel said that basically, the Firefighter
Combat Challenge is an obstacle course, laying out five unique tasks that are linked together
and timed. This is a worldwide competition which was begun 15 years ago. There are two
objectives of this competition: to promote physical fitness, and for public education-because
this event showcases the rigors of a firefighter's "normal" day. The chief showed a video clip
of the competition.
b. Chief Friel said the Village supports the firefighters in this event by nominally covering entry
fees for the competition. Everything else-travel, lodging, meals, etc -each firefighter pays
on his own. These five individuals competed in the "Over 40" age category and the results are
that Morton Grove's Fire Department is the second fastest in the world in this category. In
fact, Firefighter/Paramedic RicR Pryor is the fastest individual over 40 in the world.
c. M",ayar Krier and Trustee liaison Rita P,rlinx presented Certificates of Appreciation to Fire-
fighter/Paramedic Gecrge Carlson, Firefighter!Paramedic Joe Fase!o, FirefighterlParamsdic
Rick Pryor, Firefighter/Paramedic Nate Akemann, Fire Captain Bill Porter, and Fire District
Chief Frank Rodgers, acknowledging their outstanding accomplishments in this challenge.
d. Mayor Krier said the accomplishments of these men is very impressive, noting that there are
many talented people who live and work in Morton Grove.
2. Presentation of a Distinguished Service_Award by Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin
a. Mayor Krier introduced Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, who had a Distinguished
-- Service Award to present to one of MortomGrove's employees,-Commissioner Suffredin
asked two of his staff people, Brian Hopkins and Colleen Kula to come up to the podium. He
then asked Boyle Wong and his wife, Angela, to join them.
b. Commissioner Suffredin said that, for the last six years, he and a group of about 250 others
have spent New Year's Day in Linne Woods in Morton Grove, canoeing in a River Paddle
event to raise awareness of the need for conservation and protection of this region's water
resources. The event has an outstanding safety record, but this past New Year's Day, it was
particularly challenging due to the river's flood stage conditions and swift-moving current. One
of the canoes capsized. Its occupants, Brian Hopkins and Colleen Kula, struggled against the
current and finally got out of the water. They hiked through the woods and finally arrived in a
residential area. They knocked on the door of Boyle Wong and his wife. Boyle saw the two
people bleeding, freezing, and hypothermic. He and his wife went out of their way to provide
towels, dry clothes, etc. until responders came. Commissioner Suffredin said that it's a sign of
good citizenship to assist those in need. The County Board drafted a resolution, sponsored by
all of the commissioners, commending Boyle Wong and his wife for their unselfishness. He
asked Mayor Krier to present the commendation to Boyle and his wife. Mayor Krier did so,
commenting that Boyle and his wife are very unassuming people....he wasn't even aware of
the incident until he received a phone call from Commissioner Suffredin!
'Minutes of Februa 8, 30ti98~oard iNeetin":
V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued)
3. Taste of Paradise
a. Jim Simkins and his wife encouraged everyone to come to Morton Grove's own "stimulus
program", the Morton Grove Foundation's annual "Taste" event. This year, the event's theme
is "Taste of Paradise". It will be held at the White Eagle Banquet facility in Niles on March 5,
starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person in advance, $40 at the door. Mr. Simkins
said that over 20 restaurants will be represented. There will be raffles, a silent auction, and
a live auction. All proceeds benefit local charities.
b. Mayor Krier noted that the event raises a lot of money; in 2008, over $45,000 was raised.
Mr. Simkins added that, in the 20 years that the Foundation has been doing this annual fund-
raiser, over $450,000 has been raised-and it all goes to local charities.
4.
a. Mayor Krier said that, after the last Board Meeting, he had asked Village Administrator Joe
~n~ade to provide further information fer the Board's consideration and to address some
concerns that had been raised.
b. Mr. Wade stressed that Resolution 09-06 being considered tonight is to authorize negotiations
with the Alden Foundation for affordable senior housing. It's not a final action; it's only the first
step in the process. The intent is, of course, to negotiate the best deal possible for the village
and its residents, within federal constraints. Final sale price, the terms of the contract, and the
amount of TIF assistance would only be able to be determined during the course of these
negotiations. Many issues have been discussed, such as "green" building technology, parking,
etc., but there are some major topics requiring discussion tonight, such as, "Are Morton Grove
residents interested in this? What is the income eligibility requirement? Will a means test be
used? What can the Village do to maintain this as senior housing after the financing consid-
erationshave been met? What is the probability and track record of Alden's successfully re-
ceiving federal funding for this project? What is the cost of the environmental clean-up?"
c. Community and Economic Development Director Bill Neuendorf gave a brief presentation.
He noted that the Village has discussed the need for senior housing for 30 years. It was
one of the Village's goals in the 1978 Comprehensive Plan and again in the updated 1999
Comprehensive Plan. It was one of the Village's goals in 2000, when the Lehigh/Ferris TIF
District was created. !n 2005, the Village passed an ordinance and set a goa! of adding
40 new housing units for senior affordable housing.
Mr. Neuendorf said that, over the last week and a half, the Village has done a preliminary
market survey. 103 Morton Grove seniors said they would be interested. Two former resi-
dents said they would be happy to come back to Morton Grove if senior affordable housing
was available. Two residents responded that they were not interested.
d. Regarding the environmental clean-up costs, Mr. Neuendorf said he spoke with the Village's
environmental consultant to try to get some numbers. The Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA) is basically waiting for the Village to say what's going to be built on that prop-
erty. Depending on the type of development, the clean-up costs could be as little as $20,000
(for a building with a !ot of paved area) or up to $500,000, if the development has a lot of
grassy area.
` 'ttAinutes of F~-brua `9, 26li98nard1Neetirt°
V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued)
e. Next, Befh Demes from the Alden Foundation recapped Alden's proposal. They're proposing
to build an affordable, "independent living" senior housing facility for seniors age 62 and over.
There would be a total of 85 apartments with patios or balconies, and many "common areas".
76 of the apartments would be one-bedroom; nine would be two-bedroom. 71 of the apart-
ments would be affordable, the rest would be "market rate", except one would be for alive-in
custodian. The 71 affordable units would have limited rents and different income qualifications
for the different rent levels.
f. Ms. Demes set they would be setting aside units for seniors at 30%, 50%, and 60% of the
Chicago area median income. At 60% of median income, that's roughly $32,000 for a single
household and $36,000 for atwo-person household.
g. Ms. Demes said, regarding the concerns expressed about how many Morton Grove seniors
would 'qualify' to live in this affordable housing, that she ordered a senior life report from a
geo-demographics company that updates census data and provides information for marketing
purposes to its clients. Based on their 2008 census estimates, there are plenty of Morton
Grove seniors who would qualify. According to the report, 38% of households headed by a
person age 65 or over (1,138) are living on less than $35,000 per year`T hey would qualify for
these units. 11 % of households headed by a person age 65 or over are living on less than
$15,000 per year. Those seniors w>~~Id qualify for the any of the nine units reserved far 30%
of the median income. Ms. Demes said there seems to be confusion regarding "assets" in
terms of qualifying. It's not like nursing homes or Medicaid. She said that Alden's looks at
income and income from assets-not the value of the assets. She likened it to one's tax
return.
h. As far as community preference, Ms. Demes said she understands the Village's desire to have
this development be for Morton Grove residents and their families. She said Alden is commit-
ted to working with Morton Grove to provide community preference for Village seniors or eld-
erly relatives of Morton Grove residents. She said if the resolution was approved tonight,
Alden's would work to have community preference language in the redevelopment agreement
that would be acceptable to the Board and within the fair housing laws.
Ms. Demes said there would be a Special Use with this project, restricting the building for
seniors age 62 and over. It will never become amulti-family dwelling place unless its owner
requests a change of use before the Board. As far as financing, Alden's has been 100%
successful in securing financing in all eight of the projects it has brought before the Illinois
Housing Development Authority. Seven of the projects were affordable, independent senior
living developments just like what they've proposed for Morton Grove. She said Alden's is
confident that they can secure the financing to do this project.
Steve Friedman, the Village's TIF consultant, said that most remaining open issues, such as
parking configuration, are typically worked out through the negotiation process, where there
are tradeoffs involved in achieving certain goals. Projects such as this one have multiple
layers of financing (such as tax credits, soft money, first mortgage, and discounted /free land).
Working out all the details requires negotiating the physical plan and then moving into the
December funding cycle. This timeframe gives the Village and Alden's ample time to work
through all the details, and at that point of moving into the December funding cycle, Alden's
would need to have the redevelopment agreement and approved zoning in place.
'Minutes nfFebruary'J, 2009 Bnartl Meeting'.
VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only)
a. Harold Cohon, 9237 National. Mr. Cohon said that he erred in a recent fetter to the editor
that appeared in the Morton Grove Champion. Mr. Cohon said he was alluding to Trustee
Thill's request to wait for six weeks to discuss the affordable housing development issue.
Mr. Cohon said his error was saying "six weeks"; in reality, Trustee Thill had requested asix-
month wait.
b. Patrick Kansoer. Mr. Kansoer said that many of the questions he had were answered already
this evening, but he still had a few. He thought it was "strange and ironic" that, ten years ago,
he had addressed a situation about spending public funds on affordable senior housing in the
Village. Mr. Kansoer asked if Morton Grove residents would, in fact, qualify for this, comment-
ing that he would probably sign up if he knew that he qualified. He said he had done some
research, and asked if this was a "202" project. Ms. Demes said it was not. Mr. Kansoer asked
if this development was therefore not bound by all the HUD rules and regulations. He won-
dered what is considered "affordable senior housing", not necessarily by Alden, but by the
rules of the federal government. He also asked if this was the "highest and best use" of this
land and tax money. He said he keeps hearing that Morton Grove has "no skin in the game",
but noted that staff time and consultants' time has already gone into this, so there has already
been cost to the Village. Mr. Kansoer said that, when the Village first acquired this property,
residents were told that it could be used for retai! ar a nesv library. Then the `Ji!lage took out a
bridge loan on it. Ne7d, four years later, 100 Requests for ?roposais are sent out and only five
came back. He wondered if the criteria were faulty, and stated that, since the Village has now
at least $4 million into this, is this truly the highest and best use of this land? Especially since
it's quite likely that Alden's will receive it at no cost, or at minimal cost. Mr. Kansoer said that
some choices that have already been made with regard to this property have not been good.
He felt that delay would be preferable to error, and encourage the Board to think this through.
Mayor Krier said that he has always said that the only way affordable housing gets done in
any community is by putting "skin in the game'. Builders don't want to do it-it's not profitable.
The municipality has to put it "skin in the game' in order to get it.
c. Dan DiMaria. Mr. DiMaria first encouraged everyone to come to the Taste. As a former
Board member, he said he agrees that the Village does have a lot of skin in the game; there
are a lot of dollars invested in this property. There are 14 units in the building at market rate.
Mr. DiMaria said, because the Village does have so much skin in the game, he personally
would recommend that the development should be 100% affordable, not 84% affordable and
16% market rate-especially if the Village is going to virtually "give" this property away.
Mayor Krier said that this resolution authorizes negotiation. If the Village wants it 100%
affordable, it will probably have to put more skin in the game.
BiII Luksha. Mr. Luksha said he is concerned about senior housing, noting that, currently,
there's only one building in Morton Grove providing it. He felt the Village could use ten
projects like this to meet the demand. However, he wanted to respond to a speaker from the
last meeting who felt this project wasn't consistent with the overall vision of the TIF framework
plan, and who wondered if low income seniors would be using Metra or the retail shops
planned for the train station area. Mr. Luksha reminded the assemblage that Elliot Builders
received $5 million from the Village without having to build the senior housing component that
was part of the original agreement. He felt that each trustee who votes sheu!d lock in the mir-
rorand look at the people they represent, and see if their vote would be a political "football".
~~ • Minules affebruary 9,2009 Board PAestiing~
VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) (continued)
Mr. Luicsha wondered if the idea behind the request to delay was so that this could be a
"feather in the cap" of the party in power after the election. He said it shouldn't be that way.
e. Betty Primer. Mrs. Primer, a 90-year old, 54-year resident of the Village, said she loves
Morton Grove and thought it was very important to have senior housing. Many villages do
not have it. She hoped the trustees would go for it.
Mayor Krier congratulated Mrs. Primer for her care for and involvement in the Village.
Jack Malloy, 5937 Washington. Mr. Malloy, a 48-year resident and Chairman of the Advisory
Commission on Aging, said he had submitted a letter to Mayor Krier. The mayor read the
letter, which stated that the Commission is in favor of obtaining senior housing, and strongly
feels it should be the Village's number-one priority. Mr. Malloy said that he had been a
member of the Affordable Housing Commission five years ago. The Commission, at that time,
sent findings and recommendations to the Board, and ane of the recommendations was to use
a portion of TIF land for affordable housing. He pointed out that there are very few rental units
in Morton Grove, and felt the Village should "jump at the chance" to help Alden's. Mr. Malloy
said that seniors today are "house-^ch, but income-poor".
Eric Poders, 7940 Foster. Mr. Poders said that it was interesting that School Districts 63 and
69 are in the process of possibly doing a variety of "life safety" renovations. He thought he
understood why the Board wants to move quickly on this; it's due to the percentage of the
bond issue. He said he also understood Trustee Thill's points, and recommended having
patience, moving slowly, and making every step correct as the Board moves forward.
Mayor Krier said he would never accept that this has been hasty. It's been amulti-year
process.
h• Mrs. Cohen, 9205 Merrill. She said she was in favor of moving ahead with this; the need is
acute.
VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Mayor Krier read a letter from a resident of Central Avenue, who had appeared before the
Board earlier this year regarding the speed limit on Central. She thanked the Board for the
changes that have been made on Central, and felt her concerns and requests had been han-
dled by the Village in a timely and professional manner. She felt the street was safer now,
and thanked everyone for their time.
VIII, CLERK'S REPORT
a. Clerk Fritzshall reminded the assemblage that Morton Grove will again be an early voting site.
She said that the first day that absentee ballot applications will be accepted is February 26.
She said that she doesn't have any applications yet from the Clerk's office, but expects them
shortly. March 10 is the last day Yo register to vote, but anyone interested can go to the
County Clerk's office at 69 W. Washington to register after that date.
:Minutes of February 9„~OU9Baartl Meeiing
VIII.
CLERK'S REPORT (continued)
b. Clerk Fritzshall reminded the assemblage that early voting is from March 16 to April 2. From
April 3 to April 6, individuals can vote in person at the County Clerk's office. April 2 is the last
day that absentee ballots can be postmarked.
c. Referring to the Firefighter Championship Challenge competition, Clerk Fritzshail commented
to Chief Friel that she had a great idea for a calendar next year!
IX.
A. Village Administrator
Mr. Wade had no report.
B. Corporation CounseC
Ms. Lis±on had no report.
X.
A. Trustee Brunner:
STAFF REPORTS
TRUSTEES'REPORTS
Trustee Brunner had no formal report, but announced that the Cabie & Telecommunication
Commission wanted to let residents know that the FCC has decided to delay the transition of
television sets from analog to digital. That transition was scheduled to occur on February 17,
but has been postponed to June 12. However, some channels may move forward with the
transition, and may therefore be unavailable after February 17, if you don't have cable or a
digital converter.- Couponsfordigitahconverter boxes are available (at a limit of two per-
household) by calling 888-388-2009 or by visiting the FCC's web site, www.dtv2009.org.
Coupons must be redeemed by July 31, 2009.
B. Trustee Kogstad:
Trustee Kogstad was absent-no report.
C. Trustee Marcus:
Trustee Marcus complimented the Fire Department on their outstanding efforts.
2. As liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, Trustee Marcus encouraged everyone to attend a
Business After Hours event this Wednesday, February 11, at Classic Bowl, from 5 to 7pm. HE
said it was a great opportunity to do some networking and to see the newly-renovated bowling
alley.
'Minutes ofFetirrtary 9,20096oartl Meetiingl
X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Minx:
1. Trustee Minx presented Resolution 09-06, Authorizing Negotiation of a Redevelopment
Agreement With the Alden Foundation for the Development of an Affordable Senior
Citizen Housing Project in the Lehigh/Ferris TIF Redevelopment District.
a. Trustee Minx said that there's already been much discussion and many presentations on this
matter, and moved to approve this resolution. The motion was seconded by Trustee Brunner.
b. Trustee Thill said that he wanted to respond to some comments made at the last meeting. He
said that Mayor Krier had likened Morton Grove to a ship that was kept in the harbor, saying
we had not gotten new development in town because of "keeping the ship in the harbor." He
pointed out that The Woodlands had been built on an aging warehouse site; Trafalgar Square
had been built on an open field; and Trafalgar Woods is being built on a former manufacturing
site. The Toll Brothers are doing a development just south of Dempster that was the former
site of an old banquet facility. As a matter of fact, a sitting trustee two years ago complained
that there was "so much in the development pipeline, it's taken two years to clean it out."
Trustee Thill asked, "What's in the pipeline today? Nothing! Our ship hasn't been in the
harbor, it's been in drydock." He pointed out that the OTB would have brought between
$1.5 and $2 million dollars into Morten Grove. Et would also have brought in a restaurant,
something many people have said the town sorely needs. However, it was not welcome. He
asked that some thought be given to the question, "How is our ship being managed today?"
c. Trustee Thill said the only reason the Board has gotten so much information on this proposed
Alden development is because he asked for the time to ask questions and get them answered.
He said that, between the over-inflated purchase price of the land and the other expenses to
date, the Village has between $4 and $4.5 million invested in it. Based on Alden's figures, the
Village will be paying between $11,000 and $17,000 per unit for this project. The Board was
also told that 84 units would be affordable; now it's being told that 17 units will be market rate.
That was a real concern. Another developer wants to put senior housing in town; Trustee Thill
wondered if this would be competitive. He said he didn't know how Alden's came up with the
figures of between $11,000 and $17;000 per unit, because when he took $4 milliorrand
divided it by the number of units, his answer was between $50,000 and $60,000 per unit. He
said he had a conversation with an Alden's representative this week and asked him about the
$1.9 million they were projecting to raise with this development. The representative asked
Trustee Thill where he had gotten this $1.9 million figure. He replied that it was on one of the
papers the trustees had received. The Alden's representative had no knowledge of this.
Trustee Thill wondered if the $1.9 million was real estate tax revenues that were coming back
to the Village, and if so, was it the projected amount over the life of the TIF, or annually, or
what. He said that his purpose in asking questions is not to stop this project, it's to be able to
make a decision based on as much information as possible. Trustee Thill said that, as a result
of the questions posed at the last meeting, Board members received 16 more pages of
information that they would not have gotten if not for him asking questions.
Trustee Thill said Mayor Krier had told him at the last meeting that he was asking "unanswer-
able" questions, such as, has the Village done a survey? Now the Village is doing a survey!
He said he was sorry if anyone thought he was asking "too many" questions, and sorry if any-
one didn't like the questions he was asking, but he was just seeking information, not trying to
throw up roadblocks. He said he appreciated the seniors speaking up tonight for this project,
but noted there are a lot of nuances to this. There's a lot of money involved and a lot of
people who won't be using this development. These people are wonderi.^.g why ±he Village
wants to use their money for this project.
Miuetes at February9, 7D09 hoard MeekirCgl
X.
TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Minx: (continued)
e. Trustee Thill said the Board needs to think about that, and needs to be able to make a
thoughtful vote on this matter by getting as much information as possible. He did not want to
be criticized for asking questions in order to obtain said information. He said Mayor Krier had
asked, "How are we rushing this?" Trustee Thili pointed out that there were two "special
meetings" that had been set up regarding this project that ended up being cancelled because
of his request to postpone a vote on this resolution for two weeks.
Trustee Brunner asked to correct a statement by Trustee Thill. She said that, in the proposal
Alden's had given to the Board in November 2008, the rent and income targeting were: Nine
1-bedroom units for 30% of area median income; seven 1-bedroom units for 50% of area
median income, 48 1-bedroom units for 60% of area median income, twelve 1-bedroom units
at market rate, one 2-bedroom unit for 50% of area median income, six 2-bedroom units for
60% of area median income, and one 2-bedroom unit at market rate, so Alden's had been
upfront about telling the Village that the development wouldn't be 100% affordable housing.
g. Trustee Minx said she's never had a problem asking questions. The Board has been
inundated with literature and she's taken notes at every presentation, and most of Trustee
Thill's questions ~n~ere already addressed in these presen±ations and in the !iterature received.
She didn't feel the two-v/eek delay was necessary, but if it ~~~ade Trustee Thill fee! better, she
was glad. The 16-pages of "new" information is not new, it was in documentation the Board's
already received.
h. Trustee Staackmann said that he's very much in favor of affordable senior housing, and in
serving the best interests of the Village overall. He said that, putting this issue on the table for
more scrutiny, and getting more facts, is in the best interests of the entire Village, because it's
everyone's money that will be spent on this project. He thanked Alden's for their helpfulness
and professionalism, with very well-run operations. He thanked them for allowing the Board
some extra time to deliberate on this matter. Trustee Staackmann said he did not feel the
two-week delay would significantly hamper this project. With this resolution, the Village will be
spending atieast $10,000 oniegaffiees alone; plus stafftime and consultanttime: Alden°s will ---
likely spend $100,000 on putting together a negotiated agreement. In fairness to them and
the Village residents, it's a large investment and both sides need to understand that there are
some hard issues that may not be able to be resolved. He noted that a few months ago, the
federal government did a bailout for financial institutions, thinking it was the right thing to do,
only to find out now that a good portion of the bailout funds have been spent on bonuses, the
purchase of private airplanes, and paneling executives' offices. A little time and talk never
hurts to find out what your money is being spent on, to get a clearer picture.
Trustee Staackmann said that Alden's has reassured him on several things, but he still had
some concerns, such as, what will it take for Morton Grove residents to move into this build-
ing? If you send out 200 flyers telling people it will cost them between $300 and $900 a month
to live in a beautiful new building, a vast majority will probably say yes, but what will it take to
qualify? Another concern Trustee Staackmann still has is, "What's the guarantee for Morton
Grove residents or their families first"? The Board should want to fight for the residents be-
cause it's their money being spent on this project. Yet another concern is what happens after
30 years? Trustee Staackmann said he recognizes that there's a need for this right now, but
the Board needs to perform its due diligence by asking questions that deal with both the short-
term and long-term. Future Boards often have to rectify mistakes made by past Boards, and
that often takes more money than it would have, had enough time been taken and questions
asked early in the process.
"" INiautes otfebrua 5,30119 Hoar8 Meetin"
X.
D. Trustee Minx: (continued)
TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
Trustee Staackmann said he's heard that 170-200 people are looking to get into the White
House in Morton Grove, but now has a memo that says it's only about 75 people...and only
one-third of them are Morton Grove residents. The ordinance that covers the White House is
the same one that would cover this project, in terms of community preference. If only 33% of
the White House is Morton Grove residents, is the Village going to spend millions of dollars on
this project, only to have it, too, be just one-third occupancy being Morton Grove residents?
The Board needs facts like this upfront, so that trustees know what the Village is getting into.
Trustee Staackmann said he's willing to vote on this tonight, but pointed out that, just because
the Board goes forward with this resolution doesn't necessarily mean that a viable redevelop-
ment agreement will be worked out, although he hoped that would be the case.
k. Trustee Marcus recalled that, when he was asking residents to vote for him two years ago,
an issue he often heard was "senior housing". He said the Board can't change the issues
involved with this parcel (i.e., the purchase price) because that's in the past. If mistakes have
been made, they can't be undone. Trustee Marcus said let's deal with "today" and move for-
ward. The residents want to see the trustees provide leadership and a vision for the future.
He, personally, wants to fee! that he's accomplished something positive for Village residents.
He Sald that he shared his Colleagues' concerns about using taxpayer dollars, but this resolu-
tion is to move forwar d tc try tc reach an agreement. Trustee Marcus said that it's prudent
to ask questions and have them answered. He thanked Village staff for working on getting
answers, and complimented Alden's. He said he was confident in their background and their
professionalism, and felt that this project would be "of the finest quality" possible. He noted
that the CEO of Alden's is a Morton Grove resident and the president of the construction
group was raised in Morton Grove, and that reinforces Alden's commitment to professional-
ism. He said this project would be a benefit to the community and taxpayers, and that he will
support this resolution.
I. Mayor Krier felt that many of the points brought up tonight were "political," and said that this
project is too important for it to become thus. He said he was glad that Trustee Staackmann
- - - --acknowledged thatthere isa current need forthis and said he would respond during-the-
election campaign to some of the issues that have been raised, but tonight is not the time to
play politics.
m. Trustee Brunner had a question for Ms. Demes regarding this project being a 202 project.
Ms. Demes said that there is a HUD program called a 202, it's like section 8 housing, except
that it's specifically for seniors. Residents pay 30% of their income in rent, with the balance
being subsidized from HUD. Alden's isn't doing this; rents are staggered at different levels.
n, Ms. Demes said that there will be soft loans from HUD in the financing of this project. The
laws that have to be followed in terms of residency preference are the fair housing laws. Ms.
Demes pointed out that the State defers to HUD in these matters.
o. Trustee Marcus noted that the ordinance covering the White House provides for community
preference, and that ordinance was accepted by HUD. It specifically spells out that Morton
Grove residents, and families of Morton Grove residents, have preference.
p. Trustee Brunner asked Corporation Counsel if that would be part of the redevelopment
agreement. Ms. Liston responded that she did not feel it would be appropriate to start the
negotiations now.
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_ ~ '' - - _~1linutes of February 9, 2.eA~ ~oarA Meikin~{
X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Minx: (continued)
q. Mayor Krier called for the vote on Resolution 09-06. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays,
1 absent.
Tr. Brunner awe Tr. Kogstad absent Tr. Marcus awe
Tr. Minx afire Tr. Staackmann afire Tr. Thili afire
r. Trustee Brunner, before casting her vote, thanked Alden's and-said-she-hoped-there-woulde't
be~a?`ctoud"•~rver4#is-project-[-as~thereawas-with-The lh/oodlands: F~}R = it~fi= r'~rf=^~°'~~
s. Mayor Krier thanked Alden's and said he looked forward to negotiating an agreement to
provide affordable senior housing.
2 Trustee Minx next presented Resolution 09-14, Updating a Written Policy Governing
Investment Activity Pursuant to Public Funds Investment Act 30 BLCS 235/2 in the
Village of Morton Grove.
She explained that the Village's Investment Policy serves as it written directive for investment
,aCtiCeS. The u date InCIUdeS '"i~JwiOr1S fe"'ai diii" CifSi0ulal Credit risk and tilyd- art
p.,. p N"" a"` a p Y
custodial agreements, fo provide practices safeguarding Viiiage interests in these areas.
Trustee Minx moved to approve Resolution 09-14. Trustee Staackmann seconded the
motion. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent.
Tr. Brunner awe Tr. Kogstad absent Tr. Marcus awe
Tr. Minx a~~e Tr. Staackmann ~e Tr. Thill afire
3, Trustee Minx thanked Chief Friel for his presentation and thanked those who participated in
the Championship Challenge, saying they did Morton Grove proud.
E. Trustee Staackmann:
Trustee Staackmann introduced for a first reading Ordinance 09-04, Amending Title 10,
Chapter 1, Article A Entitled "Permit and Plan Review Fees" of the Municipal Code of
the Village of Morton Grove.
He explained that the purpose of this ordinance is to reduce the permit fee for the replacement
of water heaters from $50 to $35, and to amend the fee for commercial/industrial parking lots.
There was no further discussion.
Z. Trustee Staackmann congratulated Chief Friel and all those who participated in the
Championship Challenge.
11
MinutesofFatirua ~,"+t009$paMMeetin".
X.
TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued}
Trustee Thill
Trustee Thill presented for a first reading Ordinance 09-02, Amending Title 5, Chapter 9,
Section 9.Entitled "Municipal Parking Zones" of the Municipal Code of the Village of
Morton Grove.
He explained that this will update the Village's regulations pertaining to municipal parking
zones, and will include the new free Dempster Street parking lots. One of the provisions
precludes people from parking in these Dempster Street parking lots between midnight and
6:00 a.m.
Trustee Brunner asked, if the Village built more parking lots on Dempster, would this
ordinance need to be amended later? Trustee Thill said he believed that this would cover
future properties. Corporation Counsel confirmed that Trustee Thill is eorreet.r'A~,rrrzr~->(
c ~i..i~~`~C tUS IJ YtiEY E" W ;u.. Ncc.+7 -rC rj c. r-`,r.1 y~rri~:~JUt>n E,ti.n,
2. Trustee Thill said that he had received a call from Steve Kropp, who is looking for people to
take advantage of a housing maintenance program called "Build America", which has to do
?vith prv:id'ng house main*:ena„ ° for soldiers. He encouraged residents to con±act nnr. Krepp
if They could use the assistance of this type of program.
XI. OTHER BUSINESS
NONE
XII. WARRANTS
a. Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for February 9, 2009, in the amount of
$1;217,747:20: She moved to approvethe Warrants; seconded by Trustee Marcus.
b. Trustee Staackmann had a question regarding a charge fora "No Gum Chewing" sign at
the Civic Center. Senior and Family Services Director Jackie Walker O'Keefe said it was
necessary because the Civic Center is a rental facility. There have been issues with finding
gum under the tables or ground into the floors. When that happens, the Civic Center charges
for the clean-up. They wanted to make it very clear that gum chewing is prohibited.
c. Trustee Staackmann asked about a payment to Alliance Contractors on page 1. Acting
Finance Director Ryan Horne said he would pull the documentation and let the trustees know.
d. Trustee Staackmann asked about animal boarding fees (pg. 12) totaling over $1100. Police
Chief Paul Tasch responded, noting that $411 had been for boarding two feral cats; they're
required'to be boarded before they can be euthanized. $782 is for a house on Luna that had
a fire; they've had to take a dog out of there twice. The owners owe the Village a lot of
money. Ms. Liston added that the Village received a judgment in this case of over $15,000.
This will cover the Village's cost and also emphasizes the serious nature of the charges.
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Minutes of februa J, ?Oi)9 Eoard Hearin"'
XII.
WARRANTS (continued)
e. Trustee Thill noted there's another payout of refunds due to the pay boxes at the train station.
He thought the vendor was upgrading the system so that this wouldn't keep happening. He
wondered what was going on. Public Works Director Andy DeMonte said the vendor is calling
this "user error". He added that they didn't upgrade the system, they installed signage that
they hoped would make the useloperation of the pay system clearer.
f. Trustee Marcus noted a $32,000 charge for salt, and asked if the Village was all set now.
Mr. DeMonte said the Village's salt dome is three-quarters full and he's confident, barring
another onslaught of winter storms, that this will last for the rest of the season.
g. Mayor Krier called for a vote on the Warrants. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent.
Tr. Brunner ~e Tr. Kogstad absent Tr. Marcus
Tr. Minx awe Tr. Staackmann awe Tr. Thill awe
XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS
Pat Kansoer. Mr. Kansoer had a question regarding alarm fees. He said that, about six weeks
ago, he had received a letter from the Village requesting him to pay his alarm fee. He said he
anderStandS that there 'v/Giiid be an expense tv the Viiiage t0 have somecne come out and
actually check out his alarm system, and said he understands why the Villlage charges for
false alarms. What he did not understand is why the Village charged an annual fee. He said
he researched this and could find no other community around here that does. Mr. Kansoer
wanted to know what he was getting for his $50 annual fee payment, and if anything could be
done about this.
Mayor Krier said the staff would research this.
Trustee Minx said that Skokie charges an annual alarm permit fee.
EriCPOders: Mr: Poders alluded to a rumor he had heard abouftheFinanceDirector leaving
under pressure and about financial inconsistencies. Mayor Krier said he was not going to
discuss any rumors or innuendoes, but wondered if Mr. Poders had heard the rumor from a
viable source. Mr. Poders said that it was from a viable source. Mayor Krier said he hoped it
wasn't from a trustee, and stated that the Village's finances are transparent and an open book.
XIV. ADJOURNMENTIEXECUTIVE SESSION
There being no further business, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee
Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, T absent.
Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad absent Tr. Marcus awe
Tr. Minx awe Tr. Staackmann awe Tr. Thill awe
The Board Meeting adjourned at 9:32 p.m.
13
MinuUs nY February H,?009 Boartl Meeking
PASSED this 23rd day of February, 2009
Trustee Brunner Yr
Trustee Kogstad ~-
Trustee Marcus
Trustee Minx ~?? ~~~
Trustee Staackmann
Trustee'fhill
~ ,.
~~~W
VED by23rd R of February, 2009.
Richard Krier, Villa e President
Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois
APPROVED and FILED in my office this 24th day of February, 2009.
~ _ _ ~~
,,
Carol A. Fritzshall, Village Clerk
Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois
Minutes by: Tarese Couset
14